Today I was bequeathed a Masters Degree. Which is pertinent here, because it means I will have more time on my hands for actual leisure reading. So look forward to that. But today, not having managed to finish any of the books I'm reading, I am going to talk about Narrators.
Audiobooks are a great thing. They are an excellent way to maximize time use. It is a way of always being reading, and it makes you look smart because you can be in the middle of two books at once. It is thanks to audiobooks that I managed to make a 1600 mile cross country drive solo. Definitely a great thing.
But not all audiobooks are created equally. So much depends on the narrator. A good narrator can really enhance a book. A bad one can ruin it. I can't listen to one of my favorite series because the narrator has such a different interpretation of the characters that it ruins the experience. I always feel like he makes the characters sound so snooty and obnoxious. I also had a bad experience with a full-cast audio once. The main character was supposed to be in early adulthood, and she sounded twelve. Which was problematic, because the person playing the prince she falls in love with sounded thirty-something. It did NOT work for me at all.
Whether or not someone is a good narrator really depends on the listener, so I can't give any guidelines on how to identify one. Nor do I feel like I should. But I can tell you some of my favorite listens.
The Pushcart War by Jean Merrill is an excellent listen. I saw this book on the shelf for months before I finally checked it out, and after listening to it, I couldn't believe I'd waited so long. The story takes place in New York and the narrator does a great job capturing all the accents--Jewish American, Italian American, New Yorker. It is a delightful listen.
Saffy's Angel by Hilary McKay is a book that I think I enjoy listening to more than reading. The narrator (British, which is fine, because it takes place in England) does a great job of capturing the mayhem and absent-mindedness of the family.
I find that Agatha Christie narrators tend to be very good. There are several narrators for her mysteries, but I can't think of a single one I didn't like. If you want something light and enjoyable to listen to, you can't go wrong here.
The Maisie Dobbs series also has terrific narration. It has been great to be involved with this series, because it means I have something to listen to!
The James Herriot books are also well narrated. (I think I have a thing for British narrators). I would consider buying these audiobooks, because I can go back and listen again and still enjoy them.
My first introduction to the Mitford series was through audiobook, and I think that hearing them actually helped me get into the books. The narrator really fits the character, and even when I think of the books, I hear that voice narrating them.
Authors narrating their books is always a bit risky. But it worked with Freakonomics, and I have started following their podcast. I also thought that the narration of Mornings on Horseback was well done, which is saying something, because the wrong narrator could have killed that story.
There are many others, and I will try to add them as I come across them. So look forward to that. In the meantime, if you have any favorites, let me know. I'm always looking for a good listen!
Friday, April 27, 2012
Friday, April 20, 2012
A Hidden Gem
Today's post is really geared towards the more feminine audience. I apologize for that, all you hypothetical masculine readers, but I am doing it anyway. Alright. Here goes:
Very few of us have not heard of Anne of Green Gables, and I know of oodles of females who are madly in love with the film version of Gilbert. (By the way, I am not a fan of the movies. They are alright, but honestly, I'd rather watch Lord of the Rings). And that is about all we know of L.M. Montgomery. Maybe some of you have read some of her other works (of which there are many), but the Anne of Green Gables series is still her greatest claim to fame. It is sad, really, because it means some of her best books (in my opinion) are overlooked. And to remedy that situation, I am going to tell you about two of Montgomery's hidden gems: The Blue Castle, and A Tangled Web.
These two books seem to be written for an older audience than Montgomery's typical style. I'm not sure that they are, really, but there is definitely a more mature feel, possibly because the characters are older. Valancy, the heroine of The Blue Castle, is a 29-year-old spinster. A Tangled Web has too many characters to list, but they are all adults, ranging from about early 20's to very old. Think Anne in her later years. The nice thing about this is there is less romanticism. That is not to say there is no love story. I mean that the writing is a bit more prosy, which I appreciate. As enjoyable as Anne's misadventures are, there is only so much detail I need about a wood. Anne in her younger days is too romantical for my tastes, so I appreciate the more down to earth style of these two works. They are still very Montgomery-esque, but less over the top.
The Blue Castle features Valancy, the aforementioned heroine spinster who lives with her controlling mother and has spent her entire life in doing everything her family wants and expects her to do. Something happens, which I won't ruin for you, and she suddenly decides she doesn't care anymore. She is going to do what she wants, and say what she wants, and wear what she wants, and do her hair how she wants (yay, liberation!). This results in a very amusing chapter where she goes to a family dinner, leaving the entire family in shock. Hilarious. She then leaves home to take care of a dying girl who has a horrible reputation because she got pregnant out of wedlock, because the girl is a nice girl and needs help, which leads to her love story. I won't say how, because then you'd know, and where would the fun be in that? Anyway, it is a very delightful story, and not at all what you usually get from Montgomery. If you only read one book by her, this trumps Anne of Green Gables. In my opinion.
A Tangled Web is a complex story. It starts out with the matriarch of a family dying. The family is all desperate to inherit a vase--I think it's a vase, but it is some family heirloom everyone wants (who knows why), and she has left instructions in the will that stipulate it won't be announced who receives it for a year. So, the story follows the clan for the year--the fights, the romances, the random events that happen, and the way the vase is involved--for that year. It is a lot of little stories that bring people together (and sometimes split them apart, sadly), until the big moment when the announcement is to be made. It is a great overview of life and its ups and downs, and again, if you only read one Montgomery book, in my opinion, this trumps Anne. And if you have to read Anne, then definitely consider extending your Montgomery repertoire to include one of these two books.
Very few of us have not heard of Anne of Green Gables, and I know of oodles of females who are madly in love with the film version of Gilbert. (By the way, I am not a fan of the movies. They are alright, but honestly, I'd rather watch Lord of the Rings). And that is about all we know of L.M. Montgomery. Maybe some of you have read some of her other works (of which there are many), but the Anne of Green Gables series is still her greatest claim to fame. It is sad, really, because it means some of her best books (in my opinion) are overlooked. And to remedy that situation, I am going to tell you about two of Montgomery's hidden gems: The Blue Castle, and A Tangled Web.
These two books seem to be written for an older audience than Montgomery's typical style. I'm not sure that they are, really, but there is definitely a more mature feel, possibly because the characters are older. Valancy, the heroine of The Blue Castle, is a 29-year-old spinster. A Tangled Web has too many characters to list, but they are all adults, ranging from about early 20's to very old. Think Anne in her later years. The nice thing about this is there is less romanticism. That is not to say there is no love story. I mean that the writing is a bit more prosy, which I appreciate. As enjoyable as Anne's misadventures are, there is only so much detail I need about a wood. Anne in her younger days is too romantical for my tastes, so I appreciate the more down to earth style of these two works. They are still very Montgomery-esque, but less over the top.
The Blue Castle features Valancy, the aforementioned heroine spinster who lives with her controlling mother and has spent her entire life in doing everything her family wants and expects her to do. Something happens, which I won't ruin for you, and she suddenly decides she doesn't care anymore. She is going to do what she wants, and say what she wants, and wear what she wants, and do her hair how she wants (yay, liberation!). This results in a very amusing chapter where she goes to a family dinner, leaving the entire family in shock. Hilarious. She then leaves home to take care of a dying girl who has a horrible reputation because she got pregnant out of wedlock, because the girl is a nice girl and needs help, which leads to her love story. I won't say how, because then you'd know, and where would the fun be in that? Anyway, it is a very delightful story, and not at all what you usually get from Montgomery. If you only read one book by her, this trumps Anne of Green Gables. In my opinion.
A Tangled Web is a complex story. It starts out with the matriarch of a family dying. The family is all desperate to inherit a vase--I think it's a vase, but it is some family heirloom everyone wants (who knows why), and she has left instructions in the will that stipulate it won't be announced who receives it for a year. So, the story follows the clan for the year--the fights, the romances, the random events that happen, and the way the vase is involved--for that year. It is a lot of little stories that bring people together (and sometimes split them apart, sadly), until the big moment when the announcement is to be made. It is a great overview of life and its ups and downs, and again, if you only read one Montgomery book, in my opinion, this trumps Anne. And if you have to read Anne, then definitely consider extending your Montgomery repertoire to include one of these two books.
Friday, April 13, 2012
Favorites
I am not a fan of favorites. There are too many good things in the world to pick favorites, most of the time, so I actually have very few favorites. (Random favorite: word. Defenestrate. Yes, I know. What kind of nerd has a favorite word?!) Besides, favorites require making decisions, which is just a lot of work.
That being said, you can imagine that "what's your favorite book?" is not a question I look forward to. If you were to ask me that question, I would say, "Be more specific. Give me a genre" or some such qualification. I mean, out of all the books that have been written, you can't expect me to choose just one. But I do have a few favorites. Keep in mind this is by no means a complete and fixed list.
Picture book: Three Cheers for Tacky, by Helen Lester and illustrated by Lynn Munsinger. I read this book for the first time when I was in high school, and I spent fifteen minutes rolling on the floor, laughing my head off at the pictures. It has been a favorite ever since. Their other books are also fantastic.
Favorite fantasy: I think that I have to vote for Lord of the Rings, by JRR Tolkien. I'm going to cheat a bit, and include The Hobbit in here. I read these for the first time rather late in life, and loved them. I think the timing was just right for me. I think the characters are just amazing.
Favorite classic: I'm not sure if this really counts as a classic, but it is the best way to categorize it for me. My favorite here is probably To Kill A Mockingbird, by Harper Lee. As I mentioned before, Atticus Finch? Amazing. And such a well written story.
Favorite series: Okay, I know, this is a stretch, because in a way, Lord of the Rings is a series. However, it was meant to be one book, and this is my blog, so I'm going to fudge here, because I don't know what else to put this in. It's kind of fantasy, but more mythological than fantastical, so I don't really know how to categorize it. Here it is [drumroll]: The Thief, The Queen of Attolia, and The King of Attolia, by Megan Whalen Turner. I'm not sure what the name of the series is, and there is a fourth book, A Conspiracy of Kings, which I have listened to, but the narrator and I have a different interpretation, so I need to actually read it before making a decision. Anyway, the first three books are absolutely wonderful. Excellent plot twists, great characters, and a little bit of the spy element. Gen? Totally awesome. And there are a lot of great philosophical questions, if you look for them. Little nuggets of truth, if you will. Anyway, the author did a fantastic job and I highly recommend them.
I'm going to leave off on favorites for now, but there are definitely more categories to cover. I just have to figure out if I have a favorite in them! But, in the meantime, I'd love to know your favorites. (Because my to-read list isn't long enough?)
That being said, you can imagine that "what's your favorite book?" is not a question I look forward to. If you were to ask me that question, I would say, "Be more specific. Give me a genre" or some such qualification. I mean, out of all the books that have been written, you can't expect me to choose just one. But I do have a few favorites. Keep in mind this is by no means a complete and fixed list.
Picture book: Three Cheers for Tacky, by Helen Lester and illustrated by Lynn Munsinger. I read this book for the first time when I was in high school, and I spent fifteen minutes rolling on the floor, laughing my head off at the pictures. It has been a favorite ever since. Their other books are also fantastic.
Favorite fantasy: I think that I have to vote for Lord of the Rings, by JRR Tolkien. I'm going to cheat a bit, and include The Hobbit in here. I read these for the first time rather late in life, and loved them. I think the timing was just right for me. I think the characters are just amazing.
Favorite classic: I'm not sure if this really counts as a classic, but it is the best way to categorize it for me. My favorite here is probably To Kill A Mockingbird, by Harper Lee. As I mentioned before, Atticus Finch? Amazing. And such a well written story.
Favorite series: Okay, I know, this is a stretch, because in a way, Lord of the Rings is a series. However, it was meant to be one book, and this is my blog, so I'm going to fudge here, because I don't know what else to put this in. It's kind of fantasy, but more mythological than fantastical, so I don't really know how to categorize it. Here it is [drumroll]: The Thief, The Queen of Attolia, and The King of Attolia, by Megan Whalen Turner. I'm not sure what the name of the series is, and there is a fourth book, A Conspiracy of Kings, which I have listened to, but the narrator and I have a different interpretation, so I need to actually read it before making a decision. Anyway, the first three books are absolutely wonderful. Excellent plot twists, great characters, and a little bit of the spy element. Gen? Totally awesome. And there are a lot of great philosophical questions, if you look for them. Little nuggets of truth, if you will. Anyway, the author did a fantastic job and I highly recommend them.
I'm going to leave off on favorites for now, but there are definitely more categories to cover. I just have to figure out if I have a favorite in them! But, in the meantime, I'd love to know your favorites. (Because my to-read list isn't long enough?)
Friday, April 6, 2012
The Black Hole of Genre
I have a twelve-year old niece who is very into fantasy and science-fiction. Her mom is a little bit worried about her limited literary diet, which naturally got me thinking about reading preferences. I tend to get sucked into certain topics or genres, myself. For example, my obsession with World War II. I read a book on World War II, and while I'm reading, I start to think of all these aspects that I've never learned about before--the ghettos, the war in the Pacific, the Holocaust, the battles in North Africa, D-Day, etc. So then I want to read more about those things, and I find books and read about them, and learn more things I want to know about. Or with fantasy--I just get caught up in it, and want to read more. Eventually something else makes it into my reading list, and right now, I've got a pretty good variety on my to-read shelf, I think. But I do go through phases.
The best is when I am reading stuff like Jane Austen. You can always tell, because I start to talk like the books. And that is after only one book. I'd hate to see what happens after reading several novels back to back. I haven't had that problem with fantasy that I've noticed, or World War II, but I wouldn't be surprised if there were subtle changes in my vocabulary. But the worst so far is Jane Austen.
Anyway, I don't think one has to worry too much about the genre black hole, but diversity is good too. For one thing, it expands your conversational repertoire. But more importantly, if you branch out, you'll never run out of things to read.
The best is when I am reading stuff like Jane Austen. You can always tell, because I start to talk like the books. And that is after only one book. I'd hate to see what happens after reading several novels back to back. I haven't had that problem with fantasy that I've noticed, or World War II, but I wouldn't be surprised if there were subtle changes in my vocabulary. But the worst so far is Jane Austen.
Anyway, I don't think one has to worry too much about the genre black hole, but diversity is good too. For one thing, it expands your conversational repertoire. But more importantly, if you branch out, you'll never run out of things to read.
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